Life Or Something Like It
by nmufti87
Summary: She'd known him her whole life, yet she felt she didn't know him. It was moments like these where he seemed like the guy she'd fallen in love with, the guy she'd married. Times like these reminded her of the love she'd felt for him. AU. LxP.
1. What Was & What Should've Been

**Life or Something like It**

A/N: - So, this is an idea that's been lurking in my mind for quite some time. I don't know how people will feel about it, but I'm hoping that you guys might like it. It's a completely new story and is not a copy of a movie or anything else. This is something; I've come up with on my own. If you like it, then leave a review. Thanks for reading.

Disclaimer: - I don't OTH. None of the characters belong to me. Borrowing them, for my own amusement and fun.

**Chapter 1:- What Was & What Should've Been**

_**20th December 2012**_

"Oh, god!" Peyton exclaimed loudly, as her climax hit her like a bolt of lighting. She slowly removed her arms from around her husband's waist, as he slowly moved away from her. Before he got up from the bed, he lightly pecked her on the forehead.

Peyton smiled at him slowly, as he got up from their bed & entered their bathroom, for a quick shower before he came back to bed.

Peyton quietly wrapped the silk sheets that lay next to her, around her body. She lay down on the bed, her arm underneath her head, and her back to the bathroom door.

She heard the shower running & her husband singing off-key to the words of one of his favorite songs.

Peyton laughed lightly, at the sound of her husband's voice. He never was a good singer & no matter how many times Peyton tried to tell him that, he would sing just as loudly the next time.

After a few minutes of relaxing, Peyton heard the bathroom door open & her husband stepped out & started making his way towards their bed.

"What," he said, "no complains about how horribly I sing today?," he asked, with a slight mischievous edge to his voice.

Peyton slowly turned around, as she perched herself on her elbow, before looking at her husband, starting from his wash-board stomach to his handsome face, which as always had a smirk placed on it.

"Well," she began, before moving towards him, and wrapping her arms around his neck, "you weren't as horrible as you usually are, so I let it pass," she said, causing his eyebrow to lift even more, if that were possible.

"I wasn't as horrible as I usually am?" he asked, with a tinge of sarcasm.

"Or maybe," she said, as she gently bit on his ear-lobe, causing him to groan lightly, "its because you gave me such a good time tonight," she said, as she moved to face him again, with a smirk of her own, "that I didn't feel like complaining."

"Well," he said, as rested his hands around his wife's waist, "I can't remember a single time when you actually did complain."

"Oh my," Peyton said, with a smirk, "Aren't we just a little bit too proud?" she asked.

"You really shouldn't have said that, Peyton," he said, before his arms moved from her waist, across her hips and slid slowly downwards behind her thighs.

"Why?" Peyton asked, "What are you going to do about it?" she asked, with a mischievous tone.

"Oh," he began, "you'll see," he said, before he bends his lips towards Peyton's in a passionate kiss.

Between their kiss, Peyton giggled slightly, as he held on to her legs and pushed them towards himself, so that Peyton would fall back on their bed, with him on top of her.

He lay on top off her, as his hand snaked behind her back to remove the sheets from around her body.

"This is going to be fun," Peyton said, with a small giggle, as he removed the sheet from her body.

"It's going to be a lot more then that," he said, before moving towards Peyton for another kiss.

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Peyton laid facing away from her husband, as he slept. She ran her hands through her hair, before she slowly got up from the bed, and wrapped the sheets around her form & walked towards their balcony.

Whenever she couldn't sleep, she'd come here & stare at the buildings, or anything that her eyes landed on.

New York City.

It had been her home for about five years. She'd come here right after she had gotten married.

She took a deep breath, as she rested against the door of the balcony. She looked at the bustling city. The cars that whizzed past on the road, the sparkling lights of the stores that were open, still this late in the night.

She smiled lightly, thinking about the city that never slept. It'd given her more then she could hope for.

She turned around to look at her husband's peaceful form.

He lay with his head resting on his arm, a small smile lining his face as he slept. The only few times that she ever saw him smile, was during his sleep.

She signed, thinking about her husband.

They'd known each other almost her whole life, and yet sometimes he seemed like a stranger. Who was she kidding, most of the time he seemed like a stranger. It was times like these, moments like these where he seemed like the guy she fell in love, the guy she'd married. Whenever he was asleep, she could see a piece of him that she'd loved a lot. Maybe, still did love a lot.

She walked towards the railing and rested her hands against the cold metal. She glanced down and her eyes fell on a couple that was standing across the street. They had their arms wrapped around each others waists and the girl's head rested on the guy's shoulder. After a few seconds the girl looked up and smiled lightly at the guy, and in turn, he bend down to place a kiss on her lips. Peyton signed lightly thinking how beautiful they looked from afar. After a really long time she felt the need to draw again. She felt the need to capture the innocence of the moment displayed in front of her.

Her easel was always kept in the balcony, so whenever she felt like drawing, she could, in the kind of atmosphere that suited her best. And this was that place. She wrapped the sheets tightly around her body as she walked towards the easel & attached a paper to it. She picked up a piece of charcoal lying on the side and started tracing the contours of their shape.

On and on the charcoal moved on the piece of paper as an image started to appear on the paper. She quietly drew each and every curve of their bodies. Well whatever that could be seen from a distance. She wanted them to mold in with their surroundings, so she tried to emphasize on the buildings and lights in the background, and then tried to outline their shapes in the midst of it all.

After about an hour, she was done with her drawing. She stood back & stared at her piece of work. Something had gone wrong. She stared at the work she'd just made. Their bodies seemed to mix in with each other & didn't seem to exist as two separate beings, and the buildings in the distant seemed to be the most apparent part of the drawing.

"Damn it!" Peyton hissed loudly, as she removed the drawing, crumpling it into a ball & throwing it on one side. She walked towards the railing again and stared at the vastness of the city, her mind going completely blank

It had been a while since she'd drawn anything. Six months to be exact. Her assistant had been giving her grief about it for quite some time now. Not exactly grief, since she was just her assistant, but still she'd been bothering her for her lack of "work."

Peyton had a small art gallery that she'd opened once she'd moved to New York. At her gallery she put her paintings and whatever works of art that she'd made. That was the one thing she'd always thank her husband for. He'd convinced her to give it a chance & see where it landed her. And after five years, she was still doing pretty well, without counting the last six months, obviously.

She once again, smiled slightly thinking about her husband.

_**Husband.**_

The word sometimes still felt foreign to her. Of all the plans she'd made for her self, getting married at the age of 21 wasn't one of them. She still remembered the day she'd gotten married, as clearly as if it had happened yesterday, even though that seemed unlikely, but with the help of her best friend, she remembered perfectly clearly.

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**_5th January 2008_**

They stood on the platform, waiting for the priest to start the ceremony.

"What's taking him so long?" he whispered, in a slur.

"I have no idea," Peyton said, as she waited impatiently, trying to stop herself from toppling over.

It was his idea to go to Las Vegas and elope. Neither one of their families was there, but they'd already told them they were going to elope, with or without their permission. Neither of them approved of their children getting hitched, but they were happy for them, and gave them their blessings, knowing that in the end they were bound to be together.

There was only one of their friend, who had come all the way to Las Vegas with them and she was standing next to Peyton, trying to keep her from falling.

"Be careful, Peyton," Brooke chastised, as she held on to her, "I know that you're getting married in Vegas & all, but that doesn't mean this dress isn't expensive," she pointed at both of their dresses, "after all, it is a Brooke Davis original," she concluded with a smirk.

Brooke Davis. Peyton Sawyer's best friend since the day the two set eyes on each other.

She had been with Peyton through thick & thin, the same way as Peyton had been there for Brooke.

Brooke owned a fashion label, with the name of Clothes over Bros, which she ran with the help of her mother, Victoria. Her main branch was in New York, but she worked from Tree Hill, as most of her friends still lived there, including Peyton, which was about to change as Peyton was about to get married.

"Thank you, Brooke," Peyton said, as she put her arms around Brooke's neck, "for coming to my wedding," she said, as she toppled over a bit.

"Wouldn't miss it for the world," Brooke said, with a small smile, "even though you & your _husband_ are drunk as hell, and I have to take care of you," she said, pointedly staring at Peyton's to-be-husband.

"Hey," he exclaimed, "I'm not drunk," he said, with a slight slur.

"Sure," Brooke said, "You aren't," she said, with a roll of her eyes.

"Brooke," Peyton said, as Brooke looked at her, "be nice."

"Peyton," Brooke began, "It's your wedding day, and you're drunk and he's drunk," she said, pointing at her and him, "and I can't have a single drink because I have to take care of you," Brooke said, "It's not fair, I wanted to get drunk as well," she finished with a small pout.

"Awww, Brooke," Peyton said, with a small smile, "You can get drunk," she said, as she patted her on the head lightly, "we can take care of ourselves, right hubby?" Peyton asked, as she moved towards her to-be-husband and kissed him.

"We sure can," he said, in between kisses.

"Uhmmm," said a voice, from behind the kissing couple.

"Peyton," Brooke said, as she grabbed on to her arm and pulled her towards herself.

"Sorry," Peyton apologized, as she looked at the priest guiltily.

"Are you two the only ones here?" the priest asked, the two of them.

"I'm here, too," Brooke said, with a small smile.

"Yes, I can see that," he said, "are you getting married as well?" he asked.

"No!" Brooke exclaimed. "I'm just here with them."

"Right," the priest nodded his head, "shall we start with the wedding then?" he asked.

"Yes," they said in unison.

"We're gathered here today, to join these two people in the holy bonds of matrimony. Repeat after me, Peyton," he began.

"I- Peyton Elizabeth Sawyer- take thee Nathan Royal Scott, to be my lawfully wedded husband in sickness and in health, till death parts us," the priest said, as he looked at Peyton.

"I- Peyton Elizabeth Sawyer- take thee Nathan Royal Scott, to be my lawfully wedded husband in sickness and in health, till death parts us," Peyton said, with a small smile on her lips, all her drunken nature forgotten in an instant, as she stared at Nathan with a huge smile on her lips.

"Nathan, repeat after me," The priest said, as he looked at Nathan.

"I- Nathan Royal Scott- take thee Peyton Elisabeth Sawyer, to be my lawfully wedded wife in sickness and in health, till death parts us," he said.

"I- Nathan Royal Scott- take thee Peyton Elisabeth Sawyer, to be my lawfully wedded wife in sickness and in health, till death parts us," Nathan said, with a huge smile plastered on his face, as he stared at the girl he was going to spend the rest of his life with.

"By the power invested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride," The minister said, as he smiled at the newly wed couple.

Nathan moved towards Peyton in a hurry, as he cupped her face with his hand and brought his lips down towards hers, in a soaring kiss.

"Okay people," Brooke said, "Lessen the pda, will you?" she said, "You're standing in the house of God."

Both Nathan & Peyton chuckled before moving away from each other and smiling.

"Like that'd ever stop you, Brooke," Nathan said, with a smirk, before he lightly pecked Peyton on the cheek again.

"You're mine now. Forever," Nathan said, in a whisper, in her ear.

"And you're mine, too," Peyton said, as she lightly pecked him, before holding on to his hand, as she moved towards Brooke.

"Congratulations, ," Brooke said, with a small smile, before she hugged her best friend, "or should I say, ," she said.

Peyton smiled, "Thank you, , for everything."

"Anytime," Brooke said, with a small smile, before she let go off Peyton.

"Congrats, Nate," Brooke said, as she smiled lightly at Nathan.

"Thank you, Brooke," Nathan said, as he moved his arm around his wife's waist, "I don't think we would've made it, if you hadn't been here with us," he said, as he looked at his wife, with a smile & then glanced back at Brooke.

"You're welcome, Nate," Brooke said.

Nathan kissed Peyton one more time, before they held on to each other's hand, as Peyton linked her arm with Brooke's before they walked out of the chapel together.

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**_20th December 2012_**

Peyton continued to stare at Nathan's sleeping form, as she thought about the day she got married. She didn't remember much of it, because of the amount of alcohol the both of them had consumed, but Brooke would never let them forget it, because of her lack of consumption.

It had been a good day, one of the best days of her life.

Who knew that one day she would be standing here, and thinking about how the rest of her days with him, should've been just as good.

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A/N: - Okay, so I know that this is a fine line I'm treading, but please be with me on this one. It's a piece of work that I feel really good about, and I hope I can write it the way it should be written. I don't know if this is something that's acceptable or not, but I know that it can happen, with anyone. So I hope that people don't start hating me for it, or anything. Anyway, long note. Hope you guys liked it, and if you did, then do drop a review. Good, bad, whatever. It's all good.


	2. In His Memory

A/N - Thank you for your reviews and your response to this story has been really good. I'm glad that people have taken a liking to it, and I hope that you guys continue to read it. If you liked this chapter, then be sure to drop a review.

Disclaimer- I don't own One Tree Hill, nor do any of the characters belong to me.

**Chapter 2 – In His Memory**

"It's been a while since I've seen you," Lucas said, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips, as his eyes connected with her brown ones.

"I know," she said, in her raspy voice, as she walked towards him.

"I've missed you," Lucas said, sweetly as she came and stood in front of him, and he encased her waist with his arms.

"I missed you, too," she said, as she stood on the tips of her toes, and captured his lips with her own.

Lucas moved his hands towards her face and gently cupped her face within his hands to deepen the kiss.

She brought her arms around his neck and held him in place.

After a couple of seconds, the couple broke apart, when breathing became necessary.

"I hate it when you go away for so long," she said, with a frown, as she nestled herself in the confines of his arms.

"I hate it, too," Lucas said, as he wrapped his arms across her waist once again. "But you know that I have to."

She looked up in his eyes, as she rested her chin on his chest. "I know you do, but it's a good thing that your book tour is over now and you're home," she said, with a small smile tugging at the corners of her lips.

"Lucky me," Lucas said, with a small smile of his own, as he bend his head and captured her lips with his own once again.

Things quickly became heated between the couple, as shoes were taken off and clothes were tugged off. With small giggles escaping their mouths, they quickly got out of their outfits and went in their bedroom, as they closed the door behind them.

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Lucas sat with his back propped against the headboard of the bed, as she lay relaxed in his arms.

"Where's your head at?" Lucas asked her, as he saw her trace patterns on his chest, absent-mindedly.

"I was just thinking about how we'd started out," she said, as she rested her chin on his chest and looked up at him. "Especially how long it took for you to ask me to dinner."

"What else did you expect?" Lucas asked, with a laugh. "When you wouldn't stop showing up at every book-signing I had, I had to ultimately do something about it."

She playfully smacked him on his chest. "I did no such thing."

"Right," Lucas said, with a quirk of his brow.

"Well I might have come to one or two of your book singings," she said, with a snicker, "but I did not come to all of them. Besides what did you expect me to do when you wouldn't call me after I gave you my number the first time around," she said, in mock horror.

"Well I was scared that you were crazy or something," Lucas said with a laugh, "and can you really blame me for that," he said, with a smile. "Especially after that little stunt you pulled with my editor," he reminded her.

"You know I didn't do that on purpose," she said, with a sly smile.

"Yah, because your drink just accidentally fell down her shirt," Lucas said, with a laugh, remembering about the incident that had taken place a while ago.

"Well she was coming on to you," she said. "What did you expect me to do?"

"She was doing no such thing," Lucas said.

"Lucas she'd just kissed you on our first date," she said, as she sat up on the bed next to him.

"We'd gone for a cup of coffee," Lucas said, with a laugh. "I'd hardly call that a date."

"Hmmphh," she said, with a small pout. "Well, it was the first time we'd spend time together that didn't include us being in a book store."

"I know that," Lucas said, as he put his arm around her waist, and brought her closer to himself. "But that still didn't mean that you had to do what you did."

"She'd kissed you," she said, with a pout.

"On my cheek," Lucas reminded her.

"Fine, take her side," she said, as she got up from the bed in a huff.

"I'm not taking anyone's side," Lucas said, as he got up behind her, and encased his arms around her waist, with her back resting against his chest.

"You are," she said, stubbornly.

"I'm just telling you that you shouldn't have done what you did and besides it doesn't even matter," Lucas said, with a smile, "no matter what you did, I was going to ask you out anyhow."

"You were?" she asked, as she looked up towards him, in surprise.

"Of course I was," Lucas said, with a small smile, as he gently kissed her on her forehead. "Just because I didn't do it the first time I saw you, doesn't mean I wasn't ever going to," he explained.

"Well you should've done it a lot sooner," she said, with a small smile. "That way I wouldn't have had to spend so much time in smelly old book-stores," she said, with a scrunch of her nose.

"Oh God," Lucas said, with a shake of his head. "What am I going to do with you?" he asked, with a small smile.

"I have quite a few things in mind," she said slyly as she encased Lucas's waist with her arms and stood on the tips of her toes, and captured his lips with her own.

Lucas smiled against her lips, and moved his hands towards her face, and continued kissing her.

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It had been a while since she had fallen asleep, in Lucas's arm. He was sitting quietly with his arms wrapped around her waist. Quietly he let go off her waist and moved her away from his body. Gently moving her towards her side of the bed and wrapping the sheets around her body, he kissed her on the forehead.

She smiled slightly in her sleep, as she felt something brush against her forehead.

Lucas got up from the bed slowly and made his way towards the balcony.

Walking towards the railing, he crossed his arms across his chest and stared at the city in front of him.

New York City.

New York had been his home for a while now. After the publication of his first book, he had moved from Tree Hill & settled in New York.

Tree Hill had been his home for most of his teenage life, but he had moved to Charleston when his uncle Keith had married his mother, during his junior year of high school. His mother and Keith had continued to live in Charleston, but after Lucas had finished high school he had moved back to Tree Hill and enrolled in a local university, so that he could achieve his dream of becoming a writer.

After graduation, he published his first novel and that's why he had moved to New York after it had become a huge success. After his move from Tree Hill, Karen and Keith had gone back to Tree Hill telling him that there was no place like home, and they'd want their daughter, Lily, to know how it was like to grow in a town like Tree Hill, the way Lucas had.

Lucas was in touch with his family on a constant basis, but now his life was in New York. He turned around and glanced at the sleeping form of his girlfriend.

He had known her for the last two months and she'd been like a breath of fresh air. In a town like New York, where every one was busy with their day to day lives and had no time to stop and take notice of anything else, she'd come in his life like a whirlwind and completely turned it around.

Before he knew her, Lucas's life had been one of solitude. He didn't have many friends and he liked to keep to himself most of the time. And with the amount of book tours he had to go on he never had the time to be in relationship. But with her, it had been something different.

He had dated a few times in the past couple of years, but whoever he had been with wanted more from him that he could give, but she wasn't like that. She was happy with the way their relationship was. They would spend time together whenever they could, and she never complained about not being with each other for too long. She had her work and he had his, and they both understood that. A small smile graced Lucas's features as he saw her nestled in his bed.

Lucas glanced at the sparkling lights of the city once again, and then he turned around and started walking towards his dresser. He felt cold, and she had a habit of keeping the air-conditioner on in full blast, even though the weather had been quite chilly for a while now. But she would never listen. Laughing lightly, he opened his dresser and pulled out a jersey for himself. He heard the slight noise of something falling on the floor.

He bent down to see what it was. It was a picture. He picked it up and held it in his hands, and his heart skipped a beat.

_Peyton Sawyer._

He still remembered every little detail about her, as if she was right in front of him. The unruly curls, her beautiful eyes, her biting wit. He smiled slightly thinking about the first time she had talked to him.

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Lucas parked his tow-truck in front of her car, as he saw her standing next to it. He got out and walked towards her.

"What's wrong?" Lucas asked, softly.

"I don't really know," Peyton said, "you're the mechanic," she said, pointedly. "Why don't you try to figure it out," she quipped.

Lucas smiled inwardly at her response, as he walked towards her car, and opened the hood. After inspecting it for a couple of minutes, he shut the hood and walked towards her once again.

"Well?" Peyton asked, as she placed her hand on her hip, waiting for him to say something.

"I'll have to take it to the garage," Lucas said, softly.

"That's just great," Peyton said, under her breath.

Lucas walked back towards his tow truck and pressed a few buttons and connected Peyton's car with his own with the help of the machines. He pressed a button and started lifting her car a little above the ground.

Lucas glanced at her once again, as she looked here and there. In hopes of trying to ease the tension, he spoke up, "That's me inside your head."

"What?" Peyton asked, with a quizzical expression on her face.

Lucas closed the machine when Peyton's car was lifted up, "NOFX," he stated, pointing towards the folder in Peyton's hand. "That's me inside you head," he said, with a lilt in his voice, hoping to make her smile at least, but when she didn't say anything, Lucas decided to explain himself.

"It's the lyrics from," Lucas began but was quickly cut off.

"I know the song," Peyton said, in amusement, as she scratched her cheek, and then turned away from him.

Lucas shook his head slightly and then moved towards the inside of the tow truck to retrieve a paper that had to be filled. He attached it to a clip board, and started to fill out the details.

Peyton stood next to her car and took out her cell phone.

"Nathan. It's me," Peyton said, causing Lucas to glance at her, as he continued to fill in the details. "Well listen, my car broke down. You have to come pick me up," she said.

Lucas tired not to listen in to their conversation, but he couldn't help himself.

"Well then leave the gym," Peyton said, in annoyance. "It'll take you like ten minutes. I'm on River Road around the curve," she said, as she waited for Nathan to say something. When he told her that he couldn't come she shook her head in frusturation.

"Well it sucks to be you," Peyton said, annoyed by Nathan's lack of need to help her. She shut her phone, as Lucas finished with the details. He picked up the clip board and walked towards her. As Peyton glanced towards him, she let out a little cough.

"Listen, are you sure you got a ride?" Lucas asked, as he handed Peyton the clip board and a pen, so she could sign her name on it.

Peyton took the clip board and rested it against her folder.

"I mean I can wait if you want," Lucas said, with a small smile, which went unnoticed by her.

"Yah," Peyton said, sarcastically. "That's what I want," she said, as she took the pen from his hand.

Lucas just stared at her, waiting for her to finish.

"Listen, have your dad call me with an estimate," Peyton said, as she signed the piece of paper, and handed it to him.

"My uncle," Lucas clarified.

"If that's your story," Peyton said, with a quirk of her brow.

Lucas backed away from her as he scoffed slightly.

Not being able to control himself he turned back towards her. "Can I ask you a question?" he asked, as looked towards her.

"It's a free county," Peyton said, trying to hide the annoyance in her voice, as she moved her unruly curls from her face.

"Why are you a cheerleader?" Lucas asked, trying to hide the amusement from his voice. As he saw her lift her eyebrows, he continued, "I mean no offense or anything, but you're about the least cheery person I know," he said, as he smiled lightly.

Peyton scoffed at what she'd just heard.

Lucas glanced at her once again, before opening the door and getting in.

Peyton walked away from where she was standing and went towards a log that was on one side of the street. She sat down on it.

Lucas sat in his car for a couple of minutes, waiting for Peyton's ride to show up, but when it didn't, he got back out and started walking towards where she was seated, with her head rested on her hand.

"Come on," Lucas offered, with his hands placed in his pockets. "Let me give you a ride."

Peyton glanced at him, but didn't move from her place.

"I'll let you insult me," Lucas said, with a smile.

Peyton glanced at him once again , and got up from her place. She walked towards him a little bit. "First of all, you don't know me," she said, with a tilt of her shoulders. Lucas looked away from her with a smile on his face. "Second of all, you don't know me," she said, as she waved the folders in her hands in the air.

Lucas laughed lightly and rested himself against the back of her car.

"God," Peyton exclaimed, loudly. "Why are guys such jerks?" she asked, as she placed her folder on her head in anger.

"Guys or Nathan?" Lucas asked, with a quirk of his brow.

"Him," Peyton said, in annoyance. "You."

Lucas shook his head, and looked at her. "I don't know. We share the same father."

"Yah," Peyton said, as she looked at the ground, at the way the conversation had just changed. "I heard that. He's kind of an ass."

Lucas scoffed lightly, not really knowing what else to say.

"That must suck," Peyton said, as she looked towards him, "having to see him around."

"For my mom," Lucas said, simply, and then glanced towards her. "I never knew him."

"But she told you he was your dad?" Peyton asked, glancing at the pebbles on the ground, and then looking back up at him.

"Yeah, eventually," Lucas said, with a nod of his head. "We use to play in junior leagues together, me and Nathan."

"Basketball?" Peyton asked, trying to keep the annoyance at that particular game out of her voice.

"Yeah," Lucas said, with a nod of his head, causing Peyton to nod her head as well.

"And I loved it," Lucas said, the love for the game, shining through his voice. "And I was good at it. I mean you ever have anything that you knew that you were better at then almost anybody else?" he asked.

"Sex," Peyton said, with a smile adorning her features.

Lucas glanced at her with a smile on his face.

"Joke," Peyton clarified, as she saw his expression.

Lucas laughed at what Peyton had just said; causing Peyton to laugh as well as the air around them seemed lighter.

"Anyway," Lucas said. "The guys kept teasing me about it. How Nathan's dad was my dad, too."

Peyton waited for Lucas to continue.

"So I asked my mom, and she said he wasn't," Lucas said, as he relieved the scenes in his head. "But one day I get home and I hear her crying in her room," he said, remembering his mothers face when he'd seen her after that.

Peyton bit her lip as she thought about what he must have felt.

"And I knew it was true," Lucas said, as he glanced at Peyton, as she even looked up at him, their eyes interlocking.

"And so I never went back. I told my mom it was because I didn't want to see his face," Lucas said, remembering what he had said to his mother. "But it was mostly because I didn't want her to have to," he finished, not knowing why he was telling Peyton all of this.

Peyton looked away from his gaze, feeling the intensity of his emotions riveting out of his body. As if he snapped out of a trance, Lucas moved away from her car and started walking away from her, thinking about how he had just bared his soul to the once person he'd never thought he'd be able to talk to.

"So why'd you just tell me all of that?" Peyton asked, as she started walking behind him, not knowing why she would'd just have the conversation she'd had. "I mean we don't even know each other."

Lucas stopped in front of his truck and held onto the handle of the door.

"Maybe that's the point," Lucas said, as he glanced at her, and then opened the door for her so she could get in. Peyton got in the car as Lucas shut the door behind her.

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Lucas was shaken out of his memory as he heard her stir in his bed.

"Lucas," she called. "Come back to bed."

"I'm coming," Lucas said, as he turned around to make sure that she hadn't seen the picture in his hand.

When he was sure that she hadn't, he held the picture in his hand once again, and saw the small smile on Peyton's lips. Instinctively his thumb grazed the picture lightly.

The memory of the first time they talked was still fresh in his mind, and he could never forget the way he had felt when he had talked to her that day. He sighed lightly as he remembered the way she'd looked, and then quickly put the photo back underneath a couple of his jersey's and closed the dresser.

Lucas made his way towards his bed and quickly got in the covers and gathered her in his arms.

"I love you, Lucas," she said, as she nuzzled in the confines of his arms.

"I love you, too, Brooke," Lucas said, as he held on to her, and sweetly kissed her forehead, trying to rid himself of the images of the curly blonde from his mind, as she closed his eyes.

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A/N – So I hope you guys liked the chapter, and as always if you did then be sure to drop a review. I'd love to know what you guys felt about this chapter. Thanks once again for the reviews for the previous chapter. And for the people who read Battle of Wills, there's an update coming soon. Take care.


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